Thousands protest in Ceuta over government’s handling of migrant crisis: “SOS, Europe, save us”

“Ceuta is not for sale. Ceuta must be defended.” Thousands of people shouted the slogan as they marched through the Spanish enclave on Wednesday, carrying Spanish flags and blowing whistles.

The demonstrations coincided with Ceuta Day and targeted the government’s response to the migrant crisis that erupted in July. At least 72,000 people entered the North African enclave from Morocco, according to the report. Residents also carried a banner reading, “SOS Europe, save us from our own government,” while some called for the expulsion of what they described as intruders and others demanded Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s resignation.

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Ceuta is not for sale. Ceuta must be defended.

Local authorities say more than 10,000 migrants, including unaccompanied minors, have spent nearly five weeks living in makeshift camps, on the streets and on the enclave’s beaches. Residents have held daily protests calling on the government to return them to their countries or distribute them among other parts of Spain.

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SOS Europe, save us from our own government.

The local “For Ceuta” initiative says it wants both residents’ rights and migrants’ human rights respected. It also calls for the organized return of people without the right to remain in Spain and for military and police reinforcements. The initiative has collected nearly 65,000 signatures.

Left-wing associations and trade unions organized counterprotests in several cities, including Madrid. They condemned what they called “racism and Islamophobic persecution” of migrants in Ceuta.

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racism and Islamophobic persecution